Single Picture Research Articles

Design of solids for antigravity motion illusion

This paper presents a method for designing solid shapes containing slopes where orientation appears opposite to the actual orientation when observed from a unique vantage viewpoint. The resulting solids generate a new type of visual illusion, which we call “impossible motion”, in which balls placed on the slopes appear to roll uphill thereby defying the law of gravity. This is possible because a single retinal image lacks depth information and human visual perception tries to interpret images as the most familiar shape even though there are infinitely many possible interpretations. We specify the set of all possible solids represented by a single picture as the solution set of a system of equations and inequalities, and then relax the constraints in such a way that the antigravity slopes can be reconstructed. We present this design procedure with examples.

The role of orthographic information in the learning of allophonic variation

Exposure to L2 orthography may facilitate learning a novel vocalic (e.g., Escudero et al., 2008) or tonal (Showalter and Hayes-Harb, 2013) L2 contrast. Yet it is unclear whether the benefit of orthographic information applies to the learning of L2 words involving allophonic variants. We investigated whether exposure to L2 orthography can help L2 learners establish a single lexical representation for words containing allophones. We used an invented language, with word-pairs of free variants (test condition) involving the vowel alternation [ɔ]-[u], both of which can be spelled as <o>. In the control condition, vowel alternation [e]-[a] contrasted word meanings. In a word learning experiment, Mandarin and American English speakers were presented with words paired with pictures. In addition, one subgroup of participants saw the spellings when they heard the words, while another did not. Then, in a picture-auditory word matching task, participants who learned that the variants were allophonic were expected to link the two variants to one single picture in the test condition only, not in the control. A facilitative effect of orthography on the learning of free variation was observed for Mandarin speakers. This shows that orthography may help L2 learners establish a single lexical representation for allophonic variants.

Using Mobile Technology to Deliver Library Services: A Handbook

When reviewing a book, a useful test of its value is to browse through the table of contents and note whether it indicates that the book contains information that one is in particular need of at that particular moment in time. This review starts with a question that many librarians who deal with web-based library services are facing: namely, the complex matter that is summed up in the title of chapter 5 of this book, “Apps vs Mobile Websites.” The book would be of somewhat limited utility for medical librarians, given that its intended audience is primarily librarians in academic and public libraries. But there are sections that would be of value to medical librarians as the world in general moves toward mobile computing. The chapter, “E-Books for Mobiles,” for example, is a handy overview for medical librarians who are dealing with the need to provide patrons access not just to e-books, but e-books that can be easily read on mobile devices. Health sciences librarians in academic settings might also find the chapter, “Mobiles in Teaching,” to be quite valuable. That chapter has quite a number of useful examples of activities and tools (such as audience response applications) for those needing examples to use in their own classes and to recommend to medical and nursing school faculty. While the book is well organized and well written, it is rather disappointing that this chapter does not have a single picture of an app as it would look on a mobile device nor are there any screenshots of what mobile websites look like in comparison to mobile apps or compared to web pages that are not optimized for mobile users. There is a good deal of description and the usual admonitions to consider the needs of users, but nothing in terms of illustrations that would convey what things actually look like. What things look like is a key consideration in any discussion of web matters. There is a useful table of what the application suite of Ryerson Mobile of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, consisted of when the book went to press (e.g., Campus Directory, Class Schedule, Campus Map, Book A Room, Find a Computer). Otherwise, everything is rather dry as dust visually. That is the case with the book as a whole: scanty illustrations. That would not matter so much if this were a book about a subject in librarianship that primarily has to do with textual matters. But mobile technology is, to a large extent, a visual matter. A major flaw of this book is that it does not seem to acknowledge whatsoever people who have some kind of disability or impairment and whose needs should be addressed in any discussion of online library services. There is no chapter about accessibility or disabilities such as visual ones or those having to do with neuromuscular issues or hearing impairments (despite the fact that many of the resources discussed are audio ones). Whatever were Andrew Walsh and his publisher thinking? No text on web services librarianship these days should lack some discussion of accessibility.

Kinetic modeling of sodium in the lunar exosphere

Our knowledge about the lunar environment is based on a large volume of ground-based, remote, and in situ observations. These observations have been conducted at different times and sampled different pieces of such a complex system as the surface-bound exosphere of the Moon. Numerical modeling is the tool that can link results of these separate observations into a single picture. Being validated against previous measurements, models can be used for predictions and interpretation of future observations results.In this paper we present a kinetic model of the sodium exosphere of the Moon as well as results of its validation against a set of ground-based and remote observations. The unique characteristic of the model is that it takes the orbital motion of the Moon and the Earth into consideration and simulates both the exosphere as well as the sodium tail self-consistently. The extended computational domain covers the part of the Earth’s orbit at new Moon, which allows us to study the effect of Earth’s gravity on the lunar sodium tail.The model is fitted to a set of ground-based and remote observations by tuning sodium source rate as well as values of sticking, and accommodation coefficients. The best agreement of the model results with the observations is reached when all sodium atoms returning from the exosphere stick to the surface and the net sodium escape rate is about 5.3×1022s−1.

RGB representation of two-dimensional multi-spectral acoustic data for object surface profile imaging

Conventionally, acoustic imaging has been performed using a single frequency or a limited number of frequencies. However, the rich information on surface profiles, structures hidden under surfaces and material properties of objects may exhibit frequency dependence. In this study, acoustic imaging on object surface was conducted over a wide frequency range with a fine frequency step, and a method for displaying the acquired multi-spectral acoustic data was proposed. A complicated rigid surface with different profiles was illuminated by sound waves sweeping over the frequency range from 1 to 20 kHz with a 30 Hz step. The reflected sound was two-dimensionally recorded using a scanning microphone, and processed using a holographic reconstruction method. The two-dimensional distributions of obtained sound pressure at each frequency were defined as ‘multi-spectral acoustic imaging data’. Next, the multi-spectral acoustic data were transformed into a single RGB-based picture for easy understanding of the surface characteristics. The acoustic frequencies were allocated to red, green and blue using the RGB filter technique. The depths of the grooves were identified by their colours in the RGB image.

NMR paves the way for atomic level descriptions of sparsely populated, transiently formed biomolecular conformers

The importance of dynamics to biomolecular function is becoming increasingly clear. A description of the structure-function relationship must, therefore, include the role of motion, requiring a shift in paradigm from focus on a single static 3D picture to one where a given biomolecule is considered in terms of an ensemble of interconverting conformers, each with potentially diverse activities. In this Perspective, we describe how recent developments in solution NMR spectroscopy facilitate atomic resolution studies of sparsely populated, transiently formed biomolecular conformations that exchange with the native state. Examples of how this methodology is applied to protein folding and misfolding, ligand binding, and molecular recognition are provided as a means of illustrating both the power of the new techniques and the significant roles that conformationally excited protein states play in biology.

Validation of a food quantification picture book targeting children of 0–10 years of age for pan-European and national dietary surveys

The aim of the present study was to validate thirty-eight picture series of six pictures each developed within the PANCAKE (Pilot study for the Assessment of Nutrient intake and food Consumption Among Kids in Europe) project for portion size estimation of foods consumed by infants, toddlers and children for future pan-European and national dietary surveys. Identical validation sessions were conducted in three European countries. In each country, forty-five foods were evaluated; thirty-eight foods were the same as the depicted foods, and seven foods were different, but meant to be quantified by the use of one of the thirty-eight picture series. Each single picture within a picture series was evaluated six times by means of predefined portions. Therefore, thirty-six pre-weighed portions of each food were evaluated by convenience samples of parents having children aged from 3 months to 10 years. The percentages of participants choosing the correct picture, the picture adjacent to the correct picture or a distant picture were calculated, and the performance of individual pictures within the series was assessed. For twenty foods, the picture series performed acceptably (mean difference between the estimated portion number and the served portion number less than 0.4 (SD < 1.1)). In addition, twelve foods were rated acceptable after adjustment for density differences. Some other series became acceptable after analyses at the country level. In conclusion, all picture series were acceptable for inclusion in the PANCAKE picture book. However, the picture series of baby food, salads and cakes either can only be used for foods that are very similar to those depicted or need to be substituted by another quantification tool.

A graph‐based approach to find teleconnections in climate data

AbstractPressure dipoles are important long distance climate phenomena (teleconnection) characterized by pressure anomalies of the opposite polarity appearing at two different locations at the same time. Such dipoles have been proven important for understanding and explaining the variability in climate in many regions of the world, e.g. the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, which is described by opposite pressure anomalies between the west and east Pacific and is known to be responsible for precipitation and temperature anomalies worldwide. This paper presents a graph‐based approach called shared reciprocal nearest neighbor approach that considers only reciprocal positive and negative edges in the shared nearest neighbor graph to find the dipoles. One crucial aspect of our approach to the analysis of such networks is a careful treatment of negative correlations, whose proper consideration is critical for finding the dipoles. Further, our work shows the importance of modeling the time‐dependent patterns of the dipoles in a changing climate in order to better capture the impact of important climate phenomena on the globe. To show the utility of finding dipoles using our approach, we show that the data driven dynamic climate indices generated from our algorithm generally perform better than static indices formed from the fixed locations used by climate scientists in terms of capturing impact on global temperature and precipitation. Our approach can generate a single snapshot picture of all the dipole interconnections on the globe in a given dataset and thus makes it possible to study the changes in dipole interactions and movements. As teleconnections are crucial in the understanding of the global climate system, there is a pressing need to better understand the behavior and interactions of these atmospheric processes as well as to capture them precisely. Our systematic graph‐based approach to find the teleconnections in climate data is an attempt in that direction. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 6: 158–179, 2013

"Metro maps of information" by Dafna Shahaf, Carlos Guestrin and Eric Horvitz, with Ching-man Au Yeung as coordinator

When information is abundant, it becomes increasingly difficult to fit nuggets of knowledge into a single coherent picture. Complex stories spaghetti into branches, side stories, and intertwining narratives. In order to explore these stories, one needs a map to navigate unfamiliar territory. We have developed a methodology for creating structured summaries of information, which we call metro maps. Our algorithm generates a concise structured set of documents which maxi- mizes coverage of salient pieces of information. Most importantly, metro maps explicitly show the relations among retrieved pieces in a way that captures the evolution of a story. We first for- malize characteristics of good maps and formulate their construction as an optimization problem. Then, we provide efficient methods with theoretical guarantees for generating maps. Finally, we integrate capabilities for supporting user interaction into the framework, allowing users to guide the formulation of the maps so as to better re ect their interests. Pilot user studies with a real- world dataset demonstrate that the method is able to produce maps which help users to acquire knowledge efficiently.

Geochemical pattern classification of recent volcanic products from Mt. Etna, Italy, based on Kohonen maps and fuzzy clustering

We present the application of a classification method based on Kohonen maps and fuzzy clustering to geochemical analyses of volcanic products erupted on Mt. Etna from 1995 to 2005. Based on 13 major and trace elements, the classification allows a new way to visualize distinct compositional features of magma both considering long period as well as single eruptive events, such as in 2001 and 2002–03 flank eruptions. Products of the various vents do not necessarily form homogeneous groups, but show clear trends of chemical evolution with time. Using a convenient color code, the graphical visualization of the results in just a single picture allows the rapid identification of the compositional features of each sample and their comparison with all the products analyzed in the 10-year-long time span. This single picture accounts for the mutual interactions of the 13 components avoiding shortcomings of classical low-dimensional plots where components relevant for the discrimination have to be found in a priori study of many diagrams. On the basis of the synoptic information provided by pattern classification, we identify links between the products of different eruptive vents which deliver a reliable picture of a multifaceted plumbing system, in agreement with geochemical and geophysical evidence reported in literature. The analysis of the 13-dimensional data set using the Kohonen maps and fuzzy clustering simultaneously turned out to be straightforward and easy. Accordingly, the results of this application will be useful also as a contextual data set for new data in future ongoing eruptive episodes.

Three-dimensional Poole-Frenkel analytical model for carrier transport in amorphous chalcogenides

In this work, we propose a three-dimensional Poole-Frenkel (3DPF) analytical model for carrier transport in amorphous chalcogenides. 3DPF is based on the original Poole-Frenkel (PF) theory of non-interacting Coulombic traps responsible for carrier conduction in the bulk of the material. However, while in the original PF equation the device current-voltage characteristics is calculated by considering the barrier-lowering on the applied electric field direction only, in 3DPF we overcome this approximation by calculating the electronic current due to the integral effect of the Coulombic barrier shaping in three dimensions upon application of an electric field. As a consequence, 3DPF is capable to describe both the relatively-low and relatively-high electric fields regimes, while the PF equation implicitly assumes the device to be operated at high electric fields only. Thus, 3DPF features a better agreement with experimental data compared to original PF, predicting both (i) Poole-like behavior at low-fields, i.e., I∝sinh(V), and (ii) PF-like dependence in the higher fields regime, i.e., I∝exp(V), within a single coherent physical picture. The model is validated through I–V characterization on phase-change memory devices integrating amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 as active material. Moreover, to address the model consistency, temperature dependence and correlations between model parameters are validated in comparison with experimental data.

Biophysical characterization of α-synuclein and its controversial structure

α-synuclein, a presynaptic protein of poorly defined function, constitutes the main component of Parkinson disease-associated Lewy bodies. Extensive biophysical investigations have provided evidence that isolated α-synuclein is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) in vitro. Subsequently serving as a model IDP in numerous studies, α-synuclein has aided in the development of many technologies used to characterize IDPs and arguably represents the most thoroughly analyzed IDP to date. Recent reports, however, have challenged the disordered nature of α-synuclein inside cells and have instead proposed a physiologically relevant helical tetramer. Despite α-synuclein’s rich biophysical history, a single coherent picture has not yet emerged concerning its in vivo structure, dynamics, and physiological role(s). We present herein a review of the biophysical discoveries, developments, and models pertinent to the characterization of α-synuclein’s structure and analysis of the native tetramer controversy.

Giant cell arteritis

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a granulomatous arteritis and it occurs older (more than 50 years) individuals. As GCA frequently involves temporal artery, this disease had been called as temporal arteritis. However, except for the temporal artery, GCA affects branches of the carotid arteries, as well as aorta and its major branches preferentially. Thus, this arteritis is collectively called as GCA from the characteristic histological findings. We systematically introduce the clinical pictures of GCA in the first half of this article. Because affected arteries of GCA are different in each patient, some patients do not present with classical clinical features, such as headache and tenderness of temporal artery. Recently, there are several variant forms of GCA have been recognized. Certain subtypes demonstrate organ dysfunction, such as visual loss or peripheral neuropathy with minimal or absent classical and systemic manifestations. This form of GCA is referred to as occult GCA. On the other hand, other form of GCA presents with a systemic inflammatory syndrome in the absence of focal ischemic symptoms. This is referred to as silent or masked GCA. In the latter half of this article, we introduce two patients presenting with such atypical presentations. One could be diagnosed as occult GCA, and the other was diagnosed as silent GCA with large vessel type. GCA is a heterogenous disease with more than a single clinical picture. This article can provide considerations of the wide spectrum of presentation of this characteristic systemic arteritis.

Can there be a ‘scientific worldview’?: A critical note

In this brief note, a concept of the ?scientific worldview? is examined. In particular, contrary to some of the most often misconceptions regarding the concept, it will be argued (1) that there cannot be a ?scientific worldview? in the traditional sense of a Weltanschauung if science is taken in its strictest sense, (2) that the remaining ontological and epistemic skeleton cannot be a single unified picture of the world (Weltbild), and (3) that the supposed ?truth? of these remaining pictures cannot be unambiguously grounded either in the methodology of science, although the methodology itself can be explanatory and predictively adequate and successful, or in the technological success that is associated with science.

Using Zoom Technologies to Display HEP Plots and Talks

Particle physics conferences and experiments generate a huge number of plots and presentations. It is impossible to keep up. A typical conference (like CHEP) will have 100's of plots. A single analysis result from a major experiment will have almost 50 plots. Scanning a conference or sorting out what plots are new is almost a full time job. The advent of multi-core computing and advanced video cards means that we have more processor power available for visualization than any time in the past. This poster describes two related projects that take advantage of this to solve the viewing problem. The first, Collider Plots, has a backend that looks for new plots released by ATLAS, CMS, CDF, and DZERO and organizes them by date, by experiment, and by subgroup for easy viewing and sorting. It maintains links back to associated conference notes and web pages with full result information. The second project, Deep Conference, renders all the slides as a single large zoomable picture. In both cases, much like a web mapping program, details are revealed as you zoom in. In the case of Collider Plots the plots are stacked as histograms to give visual clues for the most recent updates and activity have occurred. Standard plug-in software for a browser allows a user to zoom in on a portion of the conference that looks interesting. As the user zooms further more and more details become visible, allowing the user to make a quick and cheap decision on whether to spend more time on a particular talk or series of plots. Both projects are available at http://deeptalk.phys.washington.edu. The poster discusses the implementation and use as well as cross platform performance and possible future directions.

Spin state transition and covalent bonding in LaCoO3

We use the dynamical mean-field theory to study a $p$-$d$ Hubbard Hamiltonian for LaCoO${}_{3}$ derived from ab initio calculations in local density approximation (LDA+DMFT scheme). We address the origin of local moments observed above 100 K and discuss their attribution to a particular atomic multiplet in the presence of covalent Co-O bonding. We show that in solids such attribution, based on the single ion picture, is in general not possible. We explain when and how the single ion picture can be generalized to provide a useful approximation in solids. Our results demonstrate that the apparent magnitude of the local moment is not necessarily indicative of the underlying atomic multiplet. We conclude that the local moment behavior in LaCoO${}_{3}$ arises from the high-spin state of Co and explain the precise meaning of this statement.

Coronal Temperature Maps from Solar EUV Images: A Blind Source Separation Approach

Multi-wavelength solar images in the EUV are routinely used for analysing solar features such as coronal holes, filaments, and flares. However, images taken in different bands often look remarkably similar as each band receives contributions coming from regions with a range of different temperatures. This has motivated the search for empirical techniques that may unmix these contributions and concentrate salient morphological features of the corona in a smaller set of less redundant source images. Blind Source Separation (BSS) precisely does this. Here we show how this novel concept also provides new insight into the physics of the solar corona, using observations made by SDO/AIA. The source images are extracted using a Bayesian positive source separation technique. We show how observations made in six spectral bands, corresponding to optically thin emissions, can be reconstructed by linear combination of three sources. These sources have a narrower temperature response and allow for considerable data reduction since the pertinent information from all six bands can be condensed in only one single composite picture. In addition, they give access to empirical temperature maps of the corona. The limitations of the BSS technique and some applications are briefly discussed.

Core-mass nonadiabatic corrections to molecules: $\rm \bf H_2$H2, $\rm \bf H_2^+$H2+, and isotopologues

For high-precision calculations of rovibrational states of light molecules, it is essential to include non-adiabatic corrections. In the absence of crossings of potential energy surfaces, they can be incorporated in a single surface picture through coordinate-dependent vibrational and rotational reduced masses. We present a compact method for their evaluation and relate in particular the vibrational mass to a well defined nuclear core mass derived from a Mulliken analysis of the electronic density. For the rotational mass we propose a simple, but very effective parametrization. The use of these masses in the nuclear Schrödinger equation yields numerical data for the corrections of a much higher quality than can be obtained with optimized constant masses, typically better than 0.1 cm(-1). We demonstrate the method for H(2), H(2)(+), and singly deuterated isotopologues. Isotopic asymmetry does not present any particular difficulty. Generalization to polyatomic molecules is straightforward.

Variational Approach for the Fusion of Exposure Bracketed Pairs

When taking pictures of a dark scene with artificial lighting, ambient light is not sufficient for most cameras to obtain both accurate color and detail information. The exposure bracketing feature usually available in many camera models enables the user to obtain a series of pictures taken in rapid succession with different exposure times; the implicit idea is that the user picks the best image from this set. But in many cases, none of these images is good enough; in general, good brightness and color information are retained from longer-exposure settings, whereas sharp details are obtained from shorter ones. In this paper, we propose a variational method for automatically combining an exposure-bracketed pair of images within a single picture that reflects the desired properties of each one. We introduce an energy functional consisting of two terms, one measuring the difference in edge information with the short-exposure image and the other measuring the local color difference with a warped version of the long-exposure image. This method is able to handle camera and subject motion as well as noise, and the results compare favorably with the state of the art.

Study of 3D Reconstruction of Laser Welding Pool Surface Based on Shape from Shading

Shape from shading (SFS) is one of the critical techniques in 3D shape recovery in computer vision. The task of SFS is to reconstruct 3D shape of the visible surface of an object from one single picture using its gray variation. Analyzing the 3D shape of welding pool is important to evaluate the welding quality. During the disk laser welding experiments, a high-power laser was used as the auxiliary illuminant, and a high-speed image acquisition system with infrared filter was applied to capture the welding pools in real time. The slant and tilt of illuminant source were estimated by statistics to reconstruct the 3D shape of welding pool visible surface by using the localization method of SFS. Methods of median filter and cubic spline interpolation were used to denoise images and smooth the image shapes. Experimental results showed that the proposed technique could reconstruct parts of welding pool effectively.